Tropical islands are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and natural disasters, and inappropriate land and water use is causing environmental degradation and impacts on the ocean. Specifically, environmental problems such as deforestation of forests and mangroves, soil runoff from agricultural land, and nutrient runoff from chemical fertilizers and animal feed are occurring. As the saying goes, "The forest is the lover of the sea," mountain villages and the sea are closely related through material cycles and human activities. In particular, on islands where the distance from the mountains to the sea is short and continuous, it is necessary to work on mountain villages and seas in an integrated manner.

We will develop and demonstrate technologies that contribute to soil runoff control and nutrient load reduction through the appropriate management of environmental resources and effective utilization of biological resources in the mountains, villages and seas, and quantify the environmental conservation effects such as improvement of river water quality on islands by introducing these technologies using a watershed model.

• Development of environmental load reduction and resource circulation technologies for mountains, villages and seas of tropical islands
• Environmental assessment of nutrients and soils in the watersheds of tropical islands and clarification of the conditions for introducing the technology

Philippines, Japan (Ishigaki Island)

Agricultural, mountainous and fishing area workers; local residents; people in-charge of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and environmental policies in local governments and agencies

ANZAI Toshihiko (Tropical Agriculture Research Front)